Mistrust
by NeoJericho
Summary: After dual assassination attempts, the fragile peace between the Republic and the Empire begins to crumble. As Van, Thomas, Irvine, O'Connell, and others try to discover the truth, doubt and mistrust begin to take control over the land...Chapter 2 up!
1. Accusations

Author's Note: This takes place during the Guardian Force series. It happens any time after Irvine gets the Lightning Saix and Raven gets the Geno Breaker, but before Hiltz gets the Death Lobst…Death Stinger. Again, I don't know official spellings of things like Van's last name or Ambient (Hiltz's organoid), so just take them as they are.

**Mistrust**

**Chapter 1: Accusations**

**By**

**NeoJericho**

            General Rob Herman relaxed in his chair, bored. He watched as his mother, President Louise Theresa Camford, gave a speech on the state of affairs in the Republic. In the old days of the war, these speeches could be quite interesting, as they were often used to rally the support and emotions of the citizens. But, the war had been won, and peace had filled the lands for the past few years. Any current problems were swept away by the Guardian Force before they had a chance to get dangerous. 

            So, these weekly speeches had become tedious. Regardless of the state of affairs, the Madame President was expected to give at least a thirty-minute speech. Herman looked down at his watch. Twenty minutes to go. 

            The General looked around. He was seated on the stage, behind his mother, along with any other VIPs that had decided to attend, including Captain O'Connell. Herman frowned as he noticed his fellow soldier had dozed off. It wasn't good for the citizens to think the Republican Army was lazy. But then Herman noticed that, with the current position of the sun, their part of the stage was covered by the shadow of a nearby building. So, there was a good chance no one would notice if someone dozed off. Herman assumed O'Connell had noticed this, and taken advantage of the opportunity. The general smiled, and decided he'd do the same.

            He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. However, there were plenty of distractions. A bug of some sort kept flying around his head, plus there was a glare of some sort in his eyes, and it was pretty annoying. He opened his eyes and looked for the source of the glare. It was coming from a window in a nearby building. It seemed to be coming from some sort of tube…like the barrel of a gun…

            Or a sniper rifle…

            Herman was on his feet when he heard the shot. He knew he had less than a second. He dove towards his mother, grabbing her midsection and throwing her to the floor. He heard the whiz of a bullet pass only inches above his head. If he had been a second late…

            He jumped to his feet and looked towards the window. The rifle had dropped, and the person there had run off. But Herman knew this area well. That building, a hotel, had a staff exit in the back. It was the only place someone could leave through without being seen. 

            "O'Connell!" Herman shouted to his second-in-command. "Watch my mothe…watch the Madame President while I'm gone!" He saw the captain salute his acknowledgement out of the corner of his eye. Then Herman ran towards the hotel.

            With his adrenaline pumping, the general was able to make it to the back of the hotel in record time. The door was ajar, as if someone had passed through it in a hurry. Herman ran into the nearby alley, and saw a figure, likely a man, wearing a dark hood.

            "Stop right there!" Herman shouted. The figure looked back at him briefly, then jumped onto a nearby ladder leading up to an apartment building

            Herman raised his gun, and fired a few inches above the assassin's hands. The shot scared the man, and he fell to the ground. Herman walked over to him and pulled the hood off.

            He gasped at the face underneath. The wild red hair was unmistakable.

            "Russo!" No doubt. It was him, the former bandit and current guardian of Emperor Rudolf.

            Russo said nothing, instead jumping forward and tackling Herman to the ground. By the time the general looked up, Russo was gone.

            Herman sighed, and sat up on the ground. This was an obvious act of aggression by the Empire. And the fact that Russo had carried it out gave a good chance that the emperor himself was involved. But Rudolf had always favored peace…

            Well, the only way to find out was to ask the emperor himself. Herman had heard that Rudolf and his guardians, namely Russo and Viola, were in the city for a meeting with the Madame President. He'd just have to go and see them himself.

            He heard footsteps approaching. Herman turned to see O'Connell approaching.

            "Sir! We were able to relocate President Camford to a safe location. Did you get a look at the assassin?"

            Herman stared O'Connell in the eyes. "Call Emperor Rudolf. We have an important matter to discuss."

            "Sir, you don't mean to say that this was an attack by the Empire…"

            "That's exactly what I'm saying. It looks like this little period of peace is over."

            O'Connell watched, dumbfounded, as his commanding officer walked off. He couldn't believe that this was happening. The Republic and the Empire were getting along just fine. After all, the Guardian Force had been born from that very alliance…

            The captain sighed, and walked to follow his superior, slowing only to swat away a rather large bug.

            A lone figure watched as the two soldiers walked off. She held out her hand, allowing the bug the captain had swatted away to land there. She smiled. So far, everything was going according to plan…and things were just getting started…

*  *  *  *

            Rudolf gazed longingly out the window of his hotel suite. Sometimes he hated being the emperor. It was such a nice day outside, but he would be stuck inside all day, meeting representatives from a variety of organizations. They were all the same:  long winded speech, a plea for aid, and lots of sucking up. Rudolf listened to them in the past, but lately they'd been so repetitive that he'd just zone out for a while.

            At least he'd be meeting with President Camford today. She was such a nice woman, and a very competent leader. Rudolf wished that he'd be able to lead the Empire someday with the ability she commanded. 

            But even a meeting with the Madame President wouldn't be as good as getting into a Zoid and just running around all day…he'd been training with the royal Saber Tiger every now and then, and he liked to think that he'd gotten pretty good. It would be nice to see just how good he'd become…

            Rudolf smiled. He would trade the crown for just one match with Van.

            But alas, fate had decided a life of adventure was not for him. It was now his responsibility to lead the Empire, and there was nothing he could do to change it. At least there was finally peace on Zi…

            Viola walked in the room, looking a bit shaken. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, my emperor," she said.

            Rudolf sighed. He'd always told Russo and Viola to just call him Rudolf. The former bandits were like parents to him. 

            "What is it?" Rudolf asked. "You act as if a war has broken out."

            "Well, not yet," she mumbled.

            Suddenly, a man burst into the room. Rudolf recognized him as General Herman, the son of the Madame President and one of the Republic's best Zoid pilots. If Rudolf wasn't a bit worried before, he was now. Herman was always reserved, especially in the presence of leaders.

            "General Herman, sir, what seems to be the problem?" Rudolf asked, his voice shaking a bit.

            Herman was preparing to speak when Russo entered the room, along with Captain O'Connell, another of the Republic's best.

            Herman turned to the two who had entered. "My problem, Emperor Rudolf," he started, pointing directly at Russo, "Is that this man tried to murder my mother!"

            Rudolf gasped. For someone like Herman to burst in and make such an accusation…it was unheard of. Rudolf glanced at Russo. The man seemed as shocked as Rudolf was, if not more.

            "On what grounds do you make this accusation?" Rudolf asked.

            Captain O'Connell stepped forward. "At 11:21AM this morning," he said, "There was an assassination attempt on the Madame President while she was making her weekly address. General Herman was able to protect the President from the sniper, and he pursued the suspect to a nearby alley."

            Herman took over. "I was able to stun the suspect momentarily. I removed his mask, and this man," he said, pointing again at Russo, "was under the mask."

            "That's outrageous!" Russo shouted. "I was still in this hotel until around noon!"

            "It's true," Viola muttered. "He was still asleep."

            Herman looked at Viola. "Did you actually go into his room at any time near the time of the crime?"

            "Well…no, but he always sleeps late…"

            Herman frowned. "But he very well could have snuck out of his room, couldn't he?"

            Rudolf noticed that Russo was getting quite angry. "One second, people," he said, trying to advert a fight. "Were there any other witnesses in the alley?"

            Herman thought for a moment. "No," he said. "We were the only ones there."

            O'Connell looked down. "So it's your word against his…" he said, obviously worried.

            Herman nodded. "Yes. And it's obvious who's more trustworthy here."

            Russo turned to Herman. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he shouted.

            Herman smirked. "Well, I'm a high ranking military officer, the son of an important political leader, and a known hero. You, on the other hand, are a former bandit with plenty of prison records, a mere bodyguard, and can't even go on the battlefield without a cheesy outfit."

            Russo's eyes burned with anger. He grabbed Herman by the collar of his shirt. "You're asking for it…" he warned him.

            "Oh, did I hurt your feelings, oh great Baron of Wings?"

            Russo punched Herman in the jaw, sending him across the room.

            "Russo!" Rudolf shouted.

            Herman wiped the blood off his mouth. "Well, not only are you guilty of attempted murder, but you've assaulted an officer as well."

            Rudolf sighed. "General Herman, until we can get solid evidence on this, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

            Herman turned to the young emperor. "Actually," he said, "the main reason I came here was to see if you had direct involvement with this attack."

            Rudolf glared at the captain. "You know that I would never make any sort of offense toward the Republic. And neither would my assistants."

            Herman smiled, and turned to leave. "Oh, by the way Emperor," he said, "My mother won't be coming by today. We wouldn't want her to put her in danger."

            With that, Herman exited the room.

            Captain O'Connell turned to Rudolf. "I apologize on his behalf, Emperor Rudolf," he said. "I don't know what's come over him…he's usually a lot more open-minded than that."

            "Don't worry about it," Rudolf said with a sigh. "He should calm down eventually. In the meantime, I'll be sure and sent some troops to investigate this matter."

            "As will we," O'Connell promised. "I will personally oversee the investigation." The officer bowed, and then left the room.

            When he was gone, Russo slumped down in a chair. "I can't believe this," he muttered. "You do believe I'm innocent, don't you Rudolf?"

            "I know you are," Rudolf replied. "But then, Herman is not the kind of man who makes wild accusations like this. I fear there is something more sinister involved here."

            Viola leaned against the wall for a moment, worried. "Rudolf, I'm going to head out," she finally said. "I'll go see if I can get some information."

            "Be careful," Rudolf advised her. "The story has probably reached most of the people in the city, so tensions could be high."

            "I'll keep an eye out," Viola promised. With one last glance at Russo, she left the room.

*  *  *  *

            Captain O'Connell rushed to catch up with his superior. "Hey Rob," he said, nearly out of breath, "Don't you think you were a little out of line back there? It's not like you to make accusations like that…"

            Herman spun quickly and grabbed O'Connell by his shirt. "My mother was almost killed today," he said gravely. "And I saw the face of the man who did it. There is no doubt in my mind who the assassin was, and that's why I was acting like that." He calmed a bit, and let O'Connell go.

            "I'm sorry, sir…" O'Connell stammered.

            Herman looked at him, his eyes staring into O'Connell's. "If you ever see a loved one of yours in the sights of a sniper, and **you **see exactly who the sniper is, we'll see how you react. Then we'll see if I was out of line."

            The general turned and walked away.

*  *  *  *

            Irvine mumbled incoherently as he slowly awaked from his slumber. As he sat up, he immediately grabbed his head. He had one hell of a headache. He glanced around, trying to remember the events of the previous day. The headache was likely either a hangover, or from the fact that he'd left the hotel room's TV on all night. Or maybe both.

            Irvine slumped back against the front of the bed, and glanced at the TV. There was some sort of special news report. He grabbed the remote and turned the television up.

            "…was the scene earlier today in New Helic City," the reporter was saying. "At around 11:30AM today, there was a failed assassination attempt on President Louise Theresa Camford, leader of the Republic."

            That got Irvine's attention.

            "General Rob Herman was able to save his mother just moments before the shot was fired, and he was also able to give chase to the suspect. Reports are sketchy at this point, but there are strong rumors pointing the crime to Russo, one of the Emperor Rudolf's bodyguards."

            "Holy shit," Irvine mumbled. "This isn't looking good."

            "While there is no confirmation as of yet of the Emperor's involvement or the involvement of his aides, old tensions have already flared in the city. Small riots and fights have broken out here and there, Republicans and Imperials duking it out once again."

            Irvine switched the set off, and sat in deep thought for a while. Even though peace had been won after the defeat of the Death Saurer, a small sense of mistrust had remained between the former enemies. Most of the higher-ups had made their peace, hell, Irvine himself had taken a liking to Thomas Shubaltz, one of Van's fellow Guardian Force pilots. And he knew that the Madame President and Rudolf had become good friends. 

            But the everyday citizen was a different matter. The same tensions remained, making the peace shaky at best. After all, one of the main purposes of the Guardian Force was to quell the little outbreaks from citizens who decided justice still had not been served. All it would take was one big event like this, and all hell would break out once again.

            Irvine sighed and got up. He didn't know what to do. After all, he didn't answer to the Republic or the Empire. But he knew Van, Moonbay, and the rest would expect him to come if a major situation broke out. And he was a bit curious himself. He'd had a chance to have a few drinks with Russo after the battle with the Death Saurer. Sure, the guy used to be a bandit, but something had happened when he met Rudolf. And Irvine knew that Russo wouldn't do something like this, if only for Rudolf's sake. 

            Irvine paid his tab for the night and left the hotel. He started up the Lightning Saix and put it into a good run, heading for New Helic City. He wanted to see things for himself.

*  *  *  *

            O'Connell slumped down onto his bed in his apartment. He didn't know what to think. Herman wouldn't lie, Russo wouldn't lie, but somebody wasn't telling the truth. To make matters worse, the people in the city were already up in arms. A good number of Imperials had moved into New Helic after the war, and this situation could turn the city into a battlefield. 

            He had done some searching around the city, but he hadn't discovered anything useful. Most people would just ask him why the Republic Army hadn't already started an attack. O'Connell was a bit disappointed that the citizens of the Republic had already turned against the Empire once again.

            Not that the Empire's people were handling the situation any better. O'Connell hadn't dared to try and investigate in the Imperial part of town…he likely would've been attacked soon after he stepped into the district. 

            There was no telling how this situation would turn out. Maybe one of Rudolf's investigators would find something…it would take a good bit of evidence to convince the people now, though.

            O'Connell decided to call it a night. With tensions as they were, there would be nothing he could find out tonight…Herman was planning on calling in some of the Guardian Force tomorrow, so Van and Thomas Shubaltz would be coming in soon. With them helping out, hopefully things would be easier.

            O'Connell got up to head to the shower when he heard a scream coming from outside. He dashed over to his window and looked at the alley below his apartment. A group of four men had trapped a woman in the alley. It was too dark to see any of them, but the woman stepped under a street lamp as she backed away from the men. 

            It was Viola.

            O'Connell rushed out of his apartment, stopping briefly to grab something from his shelf. He passed up the elevator and practically dove down the stairway. He quickly pushed the front doors open as he reached the ground floor, and turned the alley. Viola was backed up against a wall now.

            O'Connell stepped over to the men, and cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he said in his most commanding voice, "but what do you think you're doing?"

            The four men turned around. One of them must have recognized O'Connell, and he quickly bowed in respect, his cronies soon doing the same.

            "Captain O'Connell, sir," one of them stammered. "We found this woman snooping around in a pub near here. She's one of the Emperor's bodyguards!"

            "I know who she is," O'Connell said, trying to intimidate the men as best he could.

            "Well, we don't want a dirty Imperial wench running around in our capital, right sir? I mean, they tried to kill President Camford!"

            O'Connell hesitated for a moment. These men were getting violent again, now that they had gotten over their initial hesitation after seeing who he was. Herman had unfortunately been quite vocal about his suspicions, and the citizens likely assumed that since O'Connell was his second in command, he would believe the same. O'Connell was going to have to do something drastic here, or else the men would turn on him as well. He thought about the item he had grabbed on his way out, and was glad that he had picked it up…he was going to need it.

            "All right citizens, step back," O'Connell commanded. "It's my duty to take care of a situation like this…so I'll kill her myself."

            The men smiled, happy that they had a military officer on their side. Viola was shocked, and she stared at the captain. "O'Connell…why?" she stammered.

            O'Connell stared back at her. "Shut up, Imperial spy!" he shouted, as he walked forward. "This crime will cost you your life!" O'Connell reached into his uniform, where he kept his gun.

            Viola slumped to the ground in fright. Tears began to fall from her eyes as O'Connell approached her.

            The captain was a bit shocked…maybe he was acting this out too well. Once he had passed the group of men, he gave a quick wink to Viola, causing the woman to look even more confused.

            O'Connell took a quick breath. He was going to have to do this quickly.

            He stopped right in front of Viola, and began to pull something from his uniform. "Prepare to die, Imperial scum," he said.

            He pulled the object out…and quickly spun around on his heels and tossed the smoke bomb right in front of the four men. The bomb opened on impact, releasing a thick smoke into the area around the men.

            O'Connell grabbed Viola's hand and pulled her up. The men would be disoriented by the smoke, but not for long. He broke into a run, pulling Viola behind him. 

            By the time the smoke had cleared enough for the men to see again, O'Connell and Viola were halfway up to O'Connell's apartment, and safety.

*  *  *  *

            Russo walked silently to Rudolf's room, the day's events still fresh in his mind. The young Emperor had asked him to come see him, most likely so that they could try to make sense of the situation. 

            The former bandit was still very worried…he had stayed inside all day, seeing as how he probably would've been shot had he left the building. All he could do was watch the news. Due to Herman's suspicions, the press was pretty much convinced that Russo was guilty. Neither Viola nor the other investigators had discovered anything, either.

            Russo was a bit worried as he thought of Viola…it was getting late, and she was not back yet. But Russo knew that she could handle herself if a situation arose…but if she had wandered into the Republic side of town, she could be in trouble.

            Russo's thoughts were interrupted as he realized he had reached Rudolf's door. He took a deep breath, and then walked in.

            Rudolf looked up as he entered, and gave the man a quick smile. Russo noticed that the young Emperor looked just as weary as he did, if not more.

            "Come on in, Russo," Rudolf said casually. "Sorry if it's a little cool in here…there was a bug flying around earlier, so I opened the window so it could fly out."

            "It's fine, sir," Russo answered. He noticed Rudolf sigh slowly…he knew that the boy didn't really like being called 'sir.'

            "Anyway," Rudolf continued, "I'm sure you've been following the news coverage of this event?"

            "Yes sir…things don't look too good."

            "No, they don't," Rudolf agreed. "I don't know what exactly we can do about this. The people of the Republic seem to have already made up their minds. I'm actually a bit worried that they might try to attack our embassy here. So, after speaking with the Madame President over the phone, we've agreed that it would be wise to bring the Guardian Force here to investigate."

            That made Russo feel a bit better. If anyone could figure this thing out, it'd be Van Freiheit.

            "In the meantime," Rudolf continued, "We'd like to move you to a different location, for your own safety."

            Russo winced. "Are you sure, Rudolf?" he asked. "I mean, if anyone tries to attack you…"

            Rudolf smiled. "I do have other bodyguards, Russo. Besides, Viola will still be here as well."

            Russo sighed. "I guess that's okay," he said. "When do I leave?"

            "Tomorrow, bright and early," the emperor replied. "So go get some sleep…we all know how much trouble you have getting up early."

            Russo saluted, and began to turn to leave the room. But something didn't seem right…

            He turned back to ask Rudolf something, and froze as he noticed something in the window of the building across from the Imperial Embassy.

            "RUDOLF, GET DOWN!" Russo shouted.

            The young emperor didn't even flinch, and quickly dove down to the floor. He'd been on the battlefield himself, so his instincts were up to par.

            Russo barely remembered to jump out of the way himself as the sniper's bullet passed through where Rudolf had been an instant earlier, and continued through the door of the office. Russo made a quick mental note to beat the hell out of whoever decided to put the Emperor into a room near a window of another building as he rushed to the window. He quickly looked at the distance between the two buildings…he could probably make it.

            "Russo!" Rudolf said, obviously suspecting what the man was going to do. "Are you really going to try that? We're eight floors above ground!"

            Russo did not reply. Instead, he took a deep breath to prepare himself, and then ran towards the window. He dove forward as he approached the window, and quickly heard glass breaking as he landed inside the adjacent building…the stupid bastard had closed the window to slow him down. Russo heard steps on another part of the floor, but chances were that the assassin was already at the stairs. But that wasn't a problem. 

            Russo walked back to the window he had dove into, and grabbed the ledge as he pulled himself outside. He glanced down slowly…the window to the seventh floor was right in front of him. He swiftly pushed off the wall with his feet, and let go of the ledge as his feet broke through the window and into the room. He landed on his feet, and didn't stop for an instant as he ran into the nearby hallway. He turned to his left, and saw a figure running towards him in the darkness. Russo smiled. The man was so focused on running that he hadn't noticed Russo.

            The former bandit quickly stepped to the right, and extended his left arm. The assassin slammed right into Russo's arm, and fell to the floor.

            Russo pulled out his lighter and got a flame going as he pulled the man's mask off…and was only slightly surprised as he recognized the man as General Robert Herman.

            "So…I guess you wanted revenge, huh?" Russo said mockingly, as he grabbed Herman's neck and pulled him up until the men saw eye to eye. "But like I told you, I'm innocent!"

            Herman was silent. Russo had expected some sort of smug reply, but he then realized what was going to happen. Herman brought his right leg forward, hitting Russo right in the crotch.

            Russo fell to the ground, and by the time he was able to stand, Herman was gone.

            Russo stood up, and crossed his arms. "Things just got a lot more interesting," he said, and walked towards the stairs to leave the building and report to Rudolf.

            After Russo had left, a woman emerged from the shadows. "Yes, things have gotten interesting," she said, replying to Russo's previous statement.

*  *  *  *

            Irvine glanced at the sky from the cockpit of the Lightning Saix. It was very dark outside. He'd hoped to make it to New Helic by sundown, but that obviously wasn't going to happen now. And judging by what he'd just heard on the radio, it might be good that he hadn't reached the city. After two assassination attempts in one day, riots and street fights were probably at an all time high.

            Irvine mused over the recent report. Russo being an assassin was hard to believe, but the general of the Republican forces being one was even more unbelievable. Irvine knew Herman well too, and he wasn't the type to start killing people either. 

            There had to be something more to this. It obviously wasn't the work of some local desert gang, this was much too complex. It would take someone like Prozen to pull this kind of thing off, and he was dead. There was that Hiltz guy and the creepy blue haired chick, but Irvine didn't know what sort of resources they had…this might be out of their league as well. 

            Irvine glanced at his radar. He was nearing a Republic outpost. It was the closest one to New Helic City, designed to warn about invading forces and the like. There was a one mile radius around the base that was off limits to civilians and civilian Zoids, but Irvine had received clearance for this kind of stuff, due to his help in the past. 

            It was nearly midnight now. Irvine yawned and rubbed his eyes. He was pretty tired now. His eyes were already beginning to play tricks on him, as he thought he saw a dark figure a ways in front of him. 

            He glanced again. This was no trick. There was indeed something there. Irvine sat up, fully awake now. He pushed the Saix into a quick run. As he neared the object, he heard it come to life. It was obviously some sort of Zoid. It turned and ran away at top speed. 

            Irvine grinned. Obviously this guy didn't know what he was up against. He pulled the Saix up closer to its top speed now, and as he got closer to the Zoid, he shot a flare nearby it. He only got a glance at the Zoid, but he could tell it was a Gun Sniper. Its red color showed that it was neither Republican nor Imperial.

            That was all the information Irvine needed. He broke into top speed, and breezed past the Sniper. After he had a good distance from his target, he spun around and opened fire with his chain gun. The Gun Sniper tried to flee, but it had no chance. Irvine aimed at the legs, crippling the Zoid. He then aimed at and destroyed the tail, as he knew where the Sniper's weapons were. After a few more shots to the body of the Zoid, it raised some sparks and smoke, and crumpled to the ground.

            Irvine led the Saix over to the fallen Zoid, and then jumped out. He climbed up to the cockpit and opened it up. The pilot coughed, and looked at Irvine, fear in his eyes.

            "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said, begging for his life. "I'll tell you everything! All about the assassination plans!"

            That got Irvine's attention. "Jackpot," he muttered under his breath. He looked at the pilot. "Tell me what you know," he said, "And I'll see to it that you get a nice life sentence instead of an execution."

            This seemed to satisfy the man. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly silenced as a bullet hit him directly in the forehead. 

            Irvine looked up at the nearby mountain range. There was a person up there, lowering his sniper rifle. Irvine couldn't see the man in the darkness, but the red organoid next to the man was unmistakable. 

            "Ambient. And Hiltz," Irvine muttered. He jumped off of the wreckage and headed for the Lightning Saix. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the red organoid fly up into the air and enter a Reddler that was parked on the mountaintop. It quickly took off and headed in the opposite direction of New Helic City.

            Irvine sighed, and started up the Saix. He wouldn't be going to New Helic after all. He broke into a run and headed in the same direction Hiltz had gone.

*  *  *  *

            "Thank you," Viola said breathlessly as she slumped down into a chair in O'Connell's apartment.

            "No problem," the captain replied as he securely locked the door to his apartment. "But why in the hell were you out in this part of town with things like they are now?"

            Viola sighed. "I just wanted to find something to help out Russo…I never knew I was so well-known in the Republic…I figured no one would recognize me."

            "Oh well, it's over now," O'Connell said. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV set. "For now, just relax. We'll see how the story is going on the news stations."

            The news reporter was talking with a Republican lieutenant about the situation when he was suddenly handed a paper from off-screen. The reporter glanced at the paper and gasped. "Holy shi…" he said, stopping himself just in time.

            He then looked at the camera, too shocked to be embarrassed. "Ladies and gentlemen, I've received some distressing news. According to this bulletin, an assassination attempt was just made on Emperor Rudolf's life."

            "Oh my god," Viola gasped, while O'Connell dropped the glass of water he had been pouring.

            The reporter continued. "The emperor was unharmed thanks to the help of his bodyguard Russo, the same man under suspicion for the attack on the Madame President this morning. Russo gave chase, and reported that the man who had fired the shot was none other than General Rob Herman."

            "Talk about irony," O'Connell muttered under his breath.

            "The situation here is the same as it is with the earlier assassination attempt:  one man's word against another," the reporter said. "Obviously, this changes quite a bit. We'll pause for a brief commercial, and then we'll have more information when we return."

            O'Connell sighed. "It's obvious that there's something odd going on here. Herman wouldn't try to kill Rudolf, regardless of what happened this morning. But I know Russo wouldn't lie either."

            Viola nodded in agreement. "What do you propose we do?"

            "Well, I doubt we'll get any info here. Besides, Van and Thomas are going to be called in tomorrow, so they'll investigate New Helic themselves." O'Connell thought for a moment. "I've got an idea, but it's a long shot."

            Viola shrugged. "We don't have any other ideas at the moment. What are you thinking?"

            "I'd like to go see Doctor D. He always seems to know what's going on…maybe he can help."

            "Then we'll leave in the morning," Viola said as she stood up and headed for O'Connell's bedroom.

            "Wait, where are you going?" the captain asked.

            Viola looked back at him. "You don't expect me to go back out there, do you? I'm going to have to stay here."

            "Well, where do I sleep?"

            "The couch, of course," Viola said, smiling sweetly. "Good night," she said, closing the door behind her.

            O'Connell sighed, and walked to the kitchen to grab a beer. He needed it after today.

*  *  *  *

END OF CHAPTER 1

Next Chapter: O'Connell and Viola continue to investigate the assassinations, Herman and Russo are locked up, Irvine continues to track Hiltz, and Van and Thomas finally get in on the action!


	2. Investigations

Author's Note: After some suggestions from my reviews, I've decided that Russo's name is actually spelled Rosso. So I'll use that from here on, and as for the first chapter, well, just pretend those u's are o's. And I have even more names in this chapter that I may have misspelled, so just go with it. 

**Mistrust**

**Chapter 2: Investigations**

**By**

**NeoJericho**

            Van Freiheit awoke abruptly to a loud banging on his apartment door. He started to get up to answer it, but stopped when he realized who it would be. He chuckled a bit, and then slumped back into bed. Making Thomas angry like this never got old.

            Fiona peeked out from the kitchen, where she was making breakfast. "What's that racket, Van?" she asked as she opened up the salt shaker and poured it into her coffee.

            "Who do you think? Thomas, of course."

            "Shouldn't you answer it?"

            "Nah, I'll make him wait a bit," Van said as he picked up a nearby magazine.

            "Dammit Van, I know you're awake! I can hear you!" Thomas shouted from outside the room. "Open up, this is no time for jokes! We have a major emergency out here!"

            "Thomas, everything is a major emergency to you," Van muttered in reply.

            "Maybe you should let him in," Fiona suggested. "He really sounds worried."

            Van sighed and stood up. He walked over and unlocked the door, and was nearly knocked over when Thomas barreled into the room. "Geez, Shubaltz!" Van shouted. "Calm down a little!"

            "Calm down? You want me to calm down?" Thomas asked. "Haven't you watched the news lately?"

            "No, moron," Van replied. "Since we got back from our mission at two in the morning, I decided to sleep in, instead of waking up at the crack of dawn like you did."

            "Well then, you've missed a lot," Thomas scowled. 

            "Oh come on, what could be so bad?"

            Thomas said nothing. He walked over and switched Van's TV on.

            "It's been almost twenty four hours since the assassination attempt on President Camford, and tensions are no lower today than they were yesterday," the reporter said. "Civil war threatens to turn New Helic City into a battleground."

            Van whistled. "Damn, that's not good."

            Thomas glared at him. "It gets worse," he replied.

            The reporter continued to summarize the previous day's events. "And the assassination attempt on Emperor Rudolf has made things even worse, as the news has spread throughout the town overnight."

            "Oh my god," Fiona gasped. Thomas looked over to her, seemingly noticing her for the first time since he walked in. 

            "Miss Fiona, you shouldn't be watching this!" he stammered. "You'll worry yourself too much!"

            "Shut up, Thomas," Van muttered. "I'm trying to hear the damn news report." The reporter continued to speak about the events, mentioning that both Herman and Rosso were suspected for the crimes.

            As the news program went to commercial, Van turned to Thomas. "So I assume we'll be heading to New Helic?" he asked.

            "Naturally," Thomas replied. "Moonbay's already agreed to take us there. And you owe me some money. That girl charges way too much, and I had to pay it all!"

            Fiona smiled. "I'm sure she was just kidding you, Thomas," she said. "Moonbay wouldn't charge us anything."

            "She'd better be kidding," Thomas muttered. "That cost me a whole month's pay!"

            "Don't worry, Thomas," Fiona replied, laughing. "I'll go get your money back." With that, she turned and left the room.

            Van scowled as he watched Thomas out of the corner of his eye. "Keep your eyes to yourself," he muttered.

            Thomas snapped back. "What? I wasn't looking at anything!"

            Van sighed.

            Thomas turned to leave, but then looked back at Van as he thought of something. "Hey! Why was Fiona in here at this time of day, anyway? Shouldn't she still be in her own room?"

            Van smiled. "Go away, Thomas. I have to get dressed for our big important mission!"

            "No! You're not doing anything until you answer me!"

            Van walked casually up to his door and slammed it in Thomas's face, locking it afterwards. He then proceeded to get dressed with Thomas's screams in the background.

*  *  *  *

General Rob Herman scowled as he glanced at the handcuffs he was wearing. He couldn't believe this.

"Honestly, mother," he said, ignoring formalities. "Why do we have to do this?"

Louise Camford glanced at her son. "I'm sorry, but it must be done. The Imperial citizens want you locked up, the Republican citizens want Rosso locked up. Rudolf and I decided that this was the only way we could appease the populace."

"But I'm innocent!" Herman shouted. "Rosso is the crook here!"

Camford sighed. "You have no more evidence than he does," she muttered. "To the citizens, you might seem pretty guilty. I know that you're innocent, and I know that Rosso is too. We just need more time to find out what's going on."

"You know this won't solve anything," Herman replied. "The people won't be satisfied until they've started another damned war!"

"I know that," she replied. "But this will buy us time. That's all we can ask for now. Hopefully, Van Freiheit or Captain O'Connell will discover the truth. Until then, this is the best way you can serve your country."

Herman slumped back in his chair. "It still sucks, though," he muttered.

*  *  *  *

            Rosso was expressionless as the jail doors slammed in front of his face. "Oh well, it's not like this is the first time," he muttered.

            Rudolf and Viola both frowned a bit at Rosso's morbid humor. "Again, I'm sorry we had to do this," Rudolf said.

            "Don't worry, kid," Rosso said. "At least this way, you guys will have a little more time before the inevitable happens. And it's not like I'd be particularly safe out there anyway."

            Rudolf smiled. "I'm glad you understand. Unfortunately, based on what Captain O'Connell has said, Herman isn't taking this as well as you are."

            Just then, the prison doors opened, and President Camford and General Herman entered, followed by quite a few guards. "Damn it!" Herman shouted as he saw Rosso. "It's bad enough that I have to be imprisoned for something I didn't do, but now I have to be in a cell by that murderer!"

            "I'm sorry," President Camford said. "But these are the highest security cells we have, and the citizens would be angry if one of you was better off than the other."

            Herman scowled, and allowed the guards to lead him into the other cell. After both of the prisoners were securely locked up, everybody else left the room, leaving Rosso and Herman alone.

            A few minutes of silence passed. Rosso relaxed in the bed of his cell, as Herman paced angrily around his cell.

            "Hey Hermy," Rosso mocked. "Why don't you settle down a bit?"

            "Screw you!" Herman replied angrily.

            "Sorry Robby, I'm not that kind of inmate."

            Herman replied with his middle finger.

*  *  *  *

            O'Connell approached Rudolf and Viola as they left the prison cells area.

            "Did it go well?" he asked.

            "Thank you for helping Viola last night," Rudolf replied. "And no, it didn't go too well. Rosso was calm, but Herman didn't like the idea."

            "As I expected," O'Connell said with a sigh.

            "Anyway," Rudolf said, changing the subject. "What did you want to see me about?"

            "Well, after the stuff that happened last night, I don't think we'll be able to get much information here," O'Connell said. "And usually when we don't have the slightest idea of what to do, we go see Doctor D. So I wanted to ask permission for Viola and I to use the Storm Sworders to go see him."

            "Of course," Rudolf answered. "Visiting the Doctor is a good idea. Maybe he can make some sense of this."

            Rudolf led the way in the direction of the Imperial Limo. As they approached the exit to the prison, Colonel Karl Shubaltz approached them.

            "Sorry, Emperor, but we're gonna have to take an armored Gustav from here."

            "But why?" Rudolf asked.

            Shubaltz opened up the window. Loud shouts were heard from outside. A large mob of people had gathered at the prison.

            "Ah," Rudolf said. "Good idea, Colonel."

*  *  *  *

            "How much longer?"

            Moonbay stopped herself from punching Thomas Shubaltz in the face. "Three more hours. And do you have to ask me that every ten minutes?"

            "Well, excuse me," Thomas muttered. "This is only the most important mission we've ever had, so I'd like to get started on it!"

            "And I'd like to kick you in the crotch. But we can't all get our way, can we? You're lucky enough that I gave you back your money. After this crap, I deserve it!"

            Van and Fiona laughed from the back seat of the Gustav.

            Thomas turned to Van. "I'd appreciate it if you would take this a bit more seriously!"

            "Oh come on, Thomas," Van replied. "Take it easy for now. When we get there, we can get serious. You're gonna tire yourself out at this rate."

            Thomas scowled. "Oh, like I'm going to take any advice from you!"

            Van glanced at Fiona. Fiona nodded, understanding what Van meant.

            "Thomas, settle down!" she said. "It's not good to worry so much!"

            "Well, if Fiona insists," Thomas said.

            Van and Moonbay rolled their eyes. 

            "So," Moonbay said, sounding a bit more serious. "How are you guys going to handle this?"

            "Well," Van said, thinking for a moment. "Thomas is going to check out the alley that Herman saw Rosso in. I'll investigate the building that Rosso saw Herman in. Fiona is going to talk to both of them to see if they have any information, since I'm sure the two of them aren't talking to each other, at least not about the investigations. I seriously doubt Herman is taking the jail thing very well."

            Moonbay sighed. "But none of this makes any sense," she said. "Both Herman and Rosso wouldn't do something like that!"

            "Well, obviously," Thomas replied. "We're going to try and see if there was anyone else involved."

            "You think it's Hiltz?" Moonbay asked.

            "Maybe," Van said. "I can't think of anyone else who could pull off something like this. And if he's involved, then Reize probably is too."

            "What about Raven?"

            "If those two are involved," Thomas replied, "Then that murderer probably is too."

            Van shook his head in disagreement. "No, this isn't Raven's style. He wouldn't try such a complex plot. He'd just go in and start shooting people."

            "I hope you're right," Thomas said. "I don't feel like facing the Geno Breaker today, or any day for that matter."

            "Right," Moonbay agreed. "You guys are good, but I doubt you could handle him alone. Speaking of which, where the hell is Irvine? Shouldn't he be helping you guys on this mission?"

            "Well, he's not officially a member of Guardian Force," Van said. "So it's up to him. I gave him a call, but I didn't get an answer."

            "That slacker," Moonbay smirked. "He was probably too drunk to pick up the phone."

            The group continued a bit longer in silence. Then Thomas spoke.

            "How much longer?"

            Moonbay turned to him. "Unless you want to run alongside the Gustav with Zeke, you'd better shut your damn mouth!"

            Thomas was quiet for the rest of the trip.

*  *  *  *

            Irvine yawned, and rubbed his eyes. He'd been riding for nearly a day now with no rest. But he knew that Hiltz was the key to this mystery. And as long as he could see the jet trail from the Reddler, he was going to follow it.

            But a nap and a beer would be so nice…

            Irvine began to nod off, when his radio suddenly turned itself on.

            "Why do you bother?" a voice asked him.

            Irvine frowned. Hiltz had a knack for hacking communications systems.

            "You're wasting your time," Hiltz said mockingly. "The Saix may be fast, but an organoid enhanced Reddler is just as fast."

            "Say what you like, you psycho," Irvine replied. "I'm bringing you down."

            Hiltz laughed. "Oh, really? I'm sure you wouldn't be so confident if you knew the true nature of our plans."

            Irvine reached to turn off the radio.

            "Don't bother," Hiltz said, anticipating Irvine's actions. "I have total control of your radio. So, this way, you won't be able to warn anyone of my involvement before I'm able to kill you."

            "Piss off," Irvine muttered.

            "How crude," Hiltz smirked. "But, I can see that I'm boring you. And I'm sure you're quite tired. So I arranged something that might interest you. Enjoy!"

            Irvine frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. 

            His suspicions were confirmed when three Dark Horns appeared from behind a nearby hill.

            "Ah, shit," Irvine sighed.

*  *  *  *

            "It's so nice to have visitors," Doctor D smiled as O'Connell and Viola exited the cockpits of the Storm Sworders. "I'm sure this is purely a social call?"

            "Not exactly, sir," O'Connell said. "I'm sure you've heard the news?"

            "Of course I have. I've turned on a TV within the last 24 hours, there's no way I couldn't have heard the news. Are you aware that the news programs pre-empted my cartoons today?"

            O'Connell sighed. "Sir, this is quite important…we came here for your council."

            "All right, sure, whatever," Doctor D replied, waving his hand. "Let's go inside…I wouldn't want to leave the lady standing out in the cold," he said with a nod to Viola.

            The three entered Doctor D's home, and the Doc served the tea he had been brewing.

            "Salt?" he asked, offering the shaker to Viola.

            "Ugh…no thanks," she replied.

            Doctor D shrugged. "It's an acquired taste, I guess."

            The three drank in silence for a moment. O'Connell sipped his tea and sighed. The doctor could be quite aggravating at times. It was likely that he had some sort of evidence or information for them, but he wouldn't say it until he was good and ready.

            "So…" Doctor D said, looking towards Viola. "How'd Rosso take the jail idea?"

            "Well, he's been there before," Viola replied. "I'm more worried about how Herman is taking it."

            "Right," O'Connell agreed. "They're probably at each other's throats."

*  *  *  *

      "No, I'm serious," Rosso said. "I really wanna know."

      "I'm not telling you anything about my personal life!" Herman snapped.

      "Come on, Hermy…we're in here for the long run, we may as well enjoy it. Now come on. How many times?"

      Herman said nothing.

      "Oh, stop being so prudish. I'm sure that lofty general title gets you lots of women," Rosso said.

      Herman sighed. "All right, fine…I suppose you won't shut up otherwise."

      "Right. Now say it!"

      "I…uh…twice."

      "Twice? That's it?" Rosso laughed. "Geez, I've lost count of mine…and I'm a damn bandit!"

      "Hey, shut up!" Herman shouted. "I can't help it if O'Connell gets all the women!"

      Rosso rolled with laughter. "Oh, do I detect a bit of jealousy? Your subordinate's takin' all the chicks away from you?"

      "Shut up! Damn it! I knew this was a bad idea!" Herman sighed. "Now don't talk to me!"

      "Hey, settle down, man," Rosso said. "Don't worry. After we get out of here, I'll help you out, show you my technique, you know?"

      "I'm not taking lessons on women from a murderer!"

      "Hey now, we already agreed to stop it with the assassin stuff. Now who were the two? Anyone I'd know?"

      "Of course not," Herman shouted. "They were fine, upstanding citizens, not crooks like you!"

      "I bet I know! That one chick, your mom's assistant…she's a fine one. I'll bet you went for her!"

      "Damn it Rosso, shut up!"

      "Oh, hit the nail on the head!" Rosso laughed. "I knew it! Good job, Hermy!"

      "Quit calling me that! I swear, when we execute you, I'm pulling the switch myself!"

*  *  *  *

      A woman watched from the rooftops as the Gustav pulled into New Helic City. This was a bit of a problem.

      She turned to the blue reptilian figure beside her. "Earlier than we expected," she said. "I guess we'll have to welcome them ourselves. We wouldn't want them to get in the way of the plan, after all."

*  *  *  *

      O'Connell was getting more and more impatient. They'd been here for two hours. The doc hadn't said anything helpful, he'd just been making small talk and flirting with Viola. They had things to do…if he wasn't going to help, then he should just say it!

      "Oh Doctor D, you're so funny!" Viola said, laughing. She glanced at O'Connell, and quieted down a bit. She could tell he was getting angry.

      "Uh, Doctor D…" she started. "You know that we came here for a reason. Do you think that you could help us out?" _Before O'Connell strangles you, she added in her head._

      Doctor D sighed. "It's always military crap with you people! You need to learn to enjoy life!"

      "THAT'S IT!" O'Connell yelled, and stood up. "Viola, I'll be outside. Finish up." With that, he turned and left.

      Viola started to say something, but Doctor D stopped her. "I'll handle this. Actually, I probably drew this one out a bit long, anyway."

      "Thanks, Doctor D," she replied.

*  *  *  *

      O'Connell stood by one of the Storm Sworders, looking over the cliffs below. He could see why the doc had made his home here…it was a beautiful place. Plus, there were many ancient ruins in these mountains…everything the doc needed was here.

      He shook his head. There were more important matters to think about. O'Connell wondered if Van and Thomas had found anything. He doubted there were any clues to be found in New Helic, but it wasn't like his idea was doing any better.

      "Beautiful place, isn't it?"

      O'Connell glanced behind him. The doctor had decided to join him.

      "Listen old man, I don't have time for any of your crap, okay?"

      "Calm down now, captain. I'm ready to talk." Doctor D walked up and stood next to O'Connell.

      "I'll be honest with you, I don't know how much I can tell you," the doctor started. "I honestly don't know anything regarding the assassinations. My guess would be that Hiltz is involved, but that's mostly just because there's no one else left willing to try something like this."

      O'Connell sighed. Perhaps this was a waste of time.

      Doctor D looked at the young man and smiled. "Now, don't be hasty…I may still be able to help. There's something else…"

      O'Connell didn't like the way the tone of Doctor D's voice had changed. "What? What is it?" he asked.

      "Well…I don't know," the doctor said. "I just have this feeling. I don't know what it is, but I know it's bad. Maybe it's nothing, maybe it's something. But please, be on your guard."

      O'Connell turned to Doctor D. "Don't worry, I will. Be sure and contact us if you find out anything else, all right?"

      Doctor D watched the two depart in their Storm Sworders. He hadn't wanted to tell them about that, but he knew he had to. He did have a vague idea of what his premonition meant…he had felt it before, after all.

      The doctor laughed. It was impossible. That thing was long gone, after all.

*  *  *  *

      Thomas Shubaltz rubbed his jaw as he stepped into the alley. That Moonbay had a mean right hook…

      The young officer glanced around the alley. It was a damn alley. Nothing else. This was ridiculous. Captain O'Connell and the search teams hadn't found anything the day before, how the heck was he supposed to be any different?

      Thomas walked over to the ladder Rosso had supposedly climbed. It led up to the roof of the adjacent building. 

      "Might as well," he muttered, and started to climb.

      The roof was, well, a roof. This was pointless too. Thomas sighed, and sat down on the roof. He could see a lot of New Helic from here. There weren't many people outside today. The riots had calmed a little since Rosso and Herman had been locked up, but he knew that would only last for another day or two. And in that time, he and Van had to figure all this out.

      "This sucks," Thomas muttered.

      Laughter echoed from behind him.

      Thomas stood up quickly and spun around. Someone else was on the roof as well.

      "Reize," Thomas said. "Not much of a surprise. We figured you and Hiltz were behind this."

      The woman laughed again. "Honestly, are Hiltz and I the prime suspects every time something happens? Are we wanted for purse snatching alongside our other charges? You Guardian Force morons have too much time on your hands."

      Thomas smiled. "Have your fun while you can, because you're going away for a long time."

      "Oh really?" Reize said. "I'm afraid not, soldier boy. Hiltz and I have big plans for this city in the coming hours. I can't cut off a previous engagement, after all."

      Thomas reached for his radio to call Van.

      "That won't be necessary," Reize said. "Mr. Freiheit is in good hands right now. Or claws, I guess I should say. Besides, you have enough to worry about." Reize snapped her fingers.

      Thomas heard a loud crash from nearby. He turned towards the noise. The Double Sworder, Reize's Zoid of choice, had broken through the wall of the building it had been concealed in.

      "Get to your little bison, lieutenant," Reize taunted. "You have a fight on your hands."

*  *  *  *

      "You didn't have to hit him though," Fiona said. "You know that Thomas is impatient."

      "He was pissing me off, what else was I supposed to do?" Moonbay replied as the two entered the prison complex where Rosso and Herman were being held.

      The guards by the door to the cells saluted Fiona as they approached the doors.

      "Geez," Moonbay said. "You Guardian Force get all the perks, eh?"

      "It's not a big deal," Fiona replied. 

      "Good morning, Miss Fiona," the first guard said. "I assume you're here to interrogate General Herman and Rosso?"

      "That's right," Fiona said.

      "Okay, I'll let you in," the guard said. "But be careful…they've been a bit rowdy as of late…"

      Fiona and Moonbay walked inside.

      "Damn it!" Herman shouted. "My sex life is not the issue! There's a war about to start, and you're obsessed with how many times I've gotten laid!"

      "Geez, Herman, don't you ever shut up? I figured your voice would have given out by now. And I was just trying to make conversation, you know?"

      "But does the conversation have to be about my personal life?"

      "Oh come on," Rosso replied. "I was only trying to help!"

      "Well, screwing things up is an odd way of helping me!"

      Fiona and Moonbay looked at each other. This wasn't going to be easy.

*  *  *  *

      Van walked around the seventh floor of the building that Rosso had seen Herman in. There wasn't much to look at. It was an abandoned building, so there wasn't any electricity, forcing Van to rely on a flashlight. This would actually be an ideal location to try an assassination at. The assassin probably hadn't expected Rosso to jump through the window at him, though. 

      Van heard something behind him. He spun around and flashed the light in the direction…nothing. He sighed. His nerves were getting the best of him. He really wished he'd brought Zeke along, instead of leaving him to watch the Zoids.

      Van walked into the hallway, and tried another room. Still nothing. It had been over a day since the attack…if the assassin had left anything, he would've come back for it by now. This whole search was probably pointless.

      He turned around again. He could've sworn he'd heard something that time.

      Van left the room to try another, when he really did hear something. A loud crash had come from another part of the town. Van rushed over to a window. The Double Sworder had just broken through a wall.

      "Reize," Van muttered. He had to get to the Blade Liger. The area where the Double Sworder had appeared was near the alleyway Thomas was inspecting. He knew the Dibison was tough, but so was Reize.

      Van began to head towards the stairs when he heard a snarl. He looked into the darkness. A flash of blue metal rushed by him.

      "Speculazz," he said. Van reached for his father's dagger. Even with it, he knew he wasn't much of a match for an organoid. He was going to need a plan.

*  *  *  *

      Irvine kept running. He'd been running for a while now. And he hadn't slept for a long damn time. Hiltz was such a bastard.

      The Reddler that Hiltz was flying kept on its course. Irvine continued to follow him. And the trio of Dark Horns Hiltz had summoned followed Irvine, shooting at him all the while.

      Decision time. Keep following Hiltz, and get shot to bits by the Dark Horns. Or, try and fight the Dark Horns, and probably get shot to bits due to his fatigue.

      Irvine turned the Lightning Saix around. He preferred the fighting chance.

      The Horns obviously had the advantage. They spread out in a line, all three shooting at Irvine. He did his best to dodge, but at their positions, it was hard to dodge all the shots. The Saix took a few heavy hits.

      Irvine frowned. This wasn't going to work. He was in no condition to fight, and these odds sucked. He thought as hard as he could to think up some ingenious plan, some miracle. But he was too tired.

      "Well then," he chuckled. "Let's try out a stupid plan, then."

      He turned the Saix's speed all the way up. It was going to be hard to stay conscious, but he had no choice.

      He dashed towards the middle Dark Horn. The three of them continued to shoot at him as he approached. Irvine slowed a bit, long enough for their missiles to lock. Now was his chance.

      He sped up as the missiles launched. He dashed forward, and stopped right next to the middle Dark Horn.

      Irvine counted quietly. The missiles approached. 

      "NOW!" he shouted. He pushed the accelerator up, way past the safety levels. The Lighting Saix sped forward. The missiles, already close, had no time to change course. The right and left missiles crashed into the side of the middle Dark Horn, destroying it. The middle missile went wild, and crashed into a nearby hill. 

      Irvine knew that the other two pilots would be a bit off guard now. He had to hurry. And he was fading fast.

      The Lightning Saix approached the left Dark Horn. The Zoid turned towards the Saix, but it was too slow. Irvine leaped forward, destroying the Horn's gun with the Saix's claws. He landed, and immediately turned around and pelted the Dark Horn with several rounds from his chain gun. The Dark Horn fell to the ground, useless.

      Irvine took a deep breath. He wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. He turned towards the final Zoid…and saw that it had already launched a missile. 

      "Moron…" Irvine laughed. "Didn't you learn already?"

      He pushed the Lighting Saix into high gear again. He rushed right at the missile, passing underneath it. The missile turned and began to follow him.

      Irvine headed right for the last Dark Horn. He could almost see the pilot's panicked expression.

      The Lightning Saix passed the Dark Horn at an incredible speed, knocking it off balance. By the time the pilot could steady himself, it was already too late. The Dark Horn's own missile crashed into its head, destroying it.

      Irvine opened the hatch of the Lightning Saix, and climbed onto the Zoid's back. He sat down, exhausted. Hiltz was already long gone. 

      "Just a quick nap," he said. "Then I'll figure out what to do from here."

*  *  *  *

      O'Connell thought over what Doctor D had said as the Storm Sworders headed back towards New Helic City. Both Fiona and Doctor D seemed to have a sixth sense of sorts. They always knew when something was about to happen. The question was whether or not it was related to the assassination attempts.

      Or maybe it was much, much worse.

      He looked out towards the ground from the Sworder's cockpit. They were flying over some of the ruins. O'Connell had always been interested in them. If he hadn't decided to become a soldier, he probably would've been a researcher like Doctor D.

      He pressed a few buttons on the console, and a 3D map of the area popped up. The ruins were all marked on the map, and O'Connell watched each one as they flew over them. Who knows what secrets they held…

      O'Connell glanced at one of the ruins. It was a bit far from the others. The captain looked at it for a moment. Something about them wasn't right. He looked at the map.

      The ruins weren't on the map.

      "Viola!" he radioed over to his companion. "You see those ruins at eleven o'clock?"

      "Yeah," came the reply. "What about them?"

      "They aren't marked on the maps."

      "So?"

      "Well, that could be bad. And something about them bugs me…"

      O'Connell looked closer. He saw something moving.

      Missile turrets.

      "INCOMING!" he shouted.

*  *  *  *

END OF CHAPTER 2

Next chapter: O'Connell and Viola get to see more of the ruins than they expected, Irvine gets a lucky break, the Dibison takes on the Double Sworder, Van fights off an organoid with a hard-to-spell name, and Herman and Rosso argue some more. And who knows, good ol' Raven might just show up.


End file.
